A couple years ago my husband and I were interested in purchasing some property with an amazing view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It was quiet and pristine.

With over fifty grassy acres, our salesman suggested we take the parcel near the crest of the bluff—no one would ever block our view.

My husband and I smiled at one another.

The friendly salesman pointed out the walkway that led to the beach far below and the benches placed along the bluff so folks could sit and enjoy the panoramic view of Mount Baker and the blue waters of the Strait.

After signing all the paperwork, we became the proud owners of two water view cemetery plots. Shaking hands, he encouraged us to come back and visit as often as we wanted—we had yet to do so.

Until this week, when a friend was laid to rest. At my friend’s gravesite, I listened to the words spoken about his life. He served his nation in Viet Nam and continued serving his family and community the rest of his life. FULL POST

Washington State is famous for Starbucks, Microsoft, the Space Needle, and decades of Democrats at the helm.

Residents in the Evergreen State have legalized some of the most liberal abortion, pot-smoking, and mercy-killing laws on the books. It begins young too. Kindergarten students learn about tolerance and gender discrimination before they learn to read.

On the ballot November 8, is a carbon tax initiative. Hidden under layers of rhetoric and promises to reduce the state sales and business taxes, is a new carbon tax on businesses that burn fossil fuels.

The tax rate starts at $15.00 per metric ton increasing 3.5% per year until it reaches $100.00 per metric ton—levied against any business polluters.

But will it really help reduce greenhouse gas?

Using the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate model this sweeping carbon tax would reduce temperatures by twenty-five one-hundred-thousandths of a degree. FULL POST

If only we’d learn our history, we might avoid repeating it—particularly Roman history.

Way back in the fourth century, B.C. leaders in the Roman government set price controls on wheat. When there were shortages, the government would buy up stockpiles and then sell it at a fixed price below market price.

Farmers were not able to do anything about the government control. Then the government took even more control and decided to give away grain to Roman citizens. With such a terrific deal for all the citizens, the farmers decided to just give up farming and head to the city for free food.

It didn’t take long for one-third of the Roman citizenry to be taking the hand-outs.

What to do with so much cost to the government? The Roman officials decided to just debase the currency. They soon learned that devaluing the currency came with a bite: inflation.

But whatever you do, don’t review the bad decisions, just compound them. FULL POST

Restricting immigration makes perfect sense, but then there are people like David.

David’s mother often repeated the stories about his German grandparents. To escape the aftermath of Seven Years War, Czarina Catherine II invited Germans to travel 2000 miles and farm the fertile slopes along Russia’s Volga River.

His grandparents took the invitation and then worked the ground tirelessly—David’s parents were both born there and married at 17. The crops yielded mostly misery as marauders frequently absconded with the harvest.

Then the political climate worsened under Bolshevik and Communist rule. The family fled Russia with a single trunk carrying their most valuable possessions—farm implements.

In England, they boarded a ship bound for America. The migrant family built a rustic home in the west—where David was born in 1904. Their homesteaded plot of fallow ground became abundant wheat land. By 1917, David handled more than most young teens. After his father’s fatal illness no one was left to manage the farm. His family depended on him. His older brother had been crippled by polio, leaving David to handle all the manual labor. FULL POST

Have you noticed how churches have been in the cross-hairs for their tax exempt status? Loud voices are clambering for changes to the Internal Revenue Code regarding tax-deductible donations to churches—and that churches pay tax on what’s in its collection plate.

It’s important to analyze the data, and recently Dr. Brian Grim of Georgetown University did just that.

What he discovered is that 344,000 churches have contributed $378 billion directly into the economy.

For comparison, he noted that Apple, Google, and Facebook combined haven’t done that.

Here’s how churches have spent those donations:

Over 100,000 alcohol and drug abuse programs

Nearly 95,000 programs for US veterans and their families

Over 25,000 programs for AIDS/HIV support, prevention, and awareness

Nearly 125,000 programs offering job training skills

Programs serving the health care needs of Americans contribute millions of dollars, employ thousands, and impact many. The Catholic hospital system contributes a vast amount to the national economy. FULL POST

My son bought a cute little Labrador puppy just after his grandpa passed away. Soon, we all were captivated by her energy, love, and playfulness—and the heartfelt distraction helped us heal.

Who doesn’t love gazing into the gentle face of a Labrador?

Recently I read just how special Labradors are. The capability of their noses is astounding. While we humans can sniff out a teaspoon of sugar in our morning coffee, these dogs can detect that same teaspoon in a million-gallon pool of water. Our brains are hard-wired to use 5% of its capacity to detect smells and our canine friends use 35%.

As a routine ferry passenger, I’ve watched special service dogs and their handlers proceed up and down the rows of waiting cars—on the alert for explosive devices. While I call them bomb dogs, they are officially referred to as explosive detection canines (EDCs), and include breeds like Shepherds too. After training, these EDCs can sniff out an array of chemicals used in bomb making. FULL POST